Pallet Securing Slots for Diverse Load Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pallets struggle to securely handle and transport heavy, unbalanced, delicate, or irregularly shaped loads due to limited and uniformly oriented securing slots, which are often costly and time-intensive to secure effectively.
Innovation Solution
The SMISS (Secure Material Integrated Storage System) features a pallet with securing slots of varying orientations, allowing for secure attachment of loads using straps or bolts without drilling, accommodating loads of different sizes and shapes, and enabling independent securing of multiple payloads, along with extended top plate edges for improved lifting and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional pallets with uniform securing slots are used, then the pallet structure is simple, but the ability to securely handle diverse loads is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The top plate is segmented into multiple regions with different slot orientations (first region with slots in first orientation, second region with slots in second orientation). This segmentation allows the pallet to accommodate loads of various sizes, shapes, and weights by selecting appropriate slot orientations, thereby improving adaptability without requiring completely different pallet designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the top plate are given different local qualities through varying slot orientations. The first region has slots oriented in a first direction while the second region has slots oriented in a different direction, allowing each region to be optimized for specific loading scenarios. This local differentiation enhances overall versatility while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple securing slots of varying orientation are added to the pallet, then the adaptability for different loads is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The top plate is divided into distinct regions (first region and second region) with different slot orientations. This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing processes within each region, making it easier to produce complex multi-orientation pallets by treating each region as a modular unit that can be manufactured and assembled systematically.
3Reliability
If securing slots are added to the pallet top plate, then the load securing capability is improved, but the weight of the pallet increases
Solution Approach 1:
The securing slots serve multiple functions: they accommodate straps for lighter loads, provide attachment points for bolts for heavier loads, and work with both wooden and metal dunnage. This multi-functionality allows a single slot design to handle diverse loading scenarios, improving reliability without adding excessive weight through specialized components for each loading type.
4Reliability
If wooden blocking and dunnage are used to secure loads, then the securing effectiveness is improved, but the cost and time requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is pre-manufactured with securing slots in various orientations already positioned and configured. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for operators to measure, mark, and create securing positions during loading operations. Operators can directly insert straps or bolts into the pre-positioned slots, significantly reducing securing time while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical system of wooden blocking and dunnage with a simpler slot-based system. Instead of requiring operators to assemble wooden structures to create securing points, the pre-formed slots provide ready-made attachment points that work with simple straps or bolts, reducing both time and material costs while maintaining securing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A pallet, a method of securing a load to a pallet, and a method of manufacturing therefor, in which the pallet includes a top plate defining a first surface area, a base structure defining a second surface area that is less than the first surface area, and support legs, at least a portion of which join the top plate and the base structure. The support legs are disposed between the top plate and the base structure in an arrangement that accommodates engagement of the pallet with a standard jacking device along any edge of the pallet. Securing slots extend through the top plate, wherein a first subset of the securing slots is oriented lengthwise parallel to a first edge of the top plate and a second subset of the securing slots is oriented lengthwise perpendicular to the first edge of the top plate. A pair of edges of the top plate extend beyond a pair of edges of the base structure that are parallel to the pair of edges of the top plate to further facilitate engagement of the pallet with a lifting mechanism.